Relationships in literature <Tab/>

In literature there are many kinds of relationships. These relationships can have a major influence on the character's decisions. A character who is usually calm and thinks carefully about the consequences of his actions will act irrational at times because of relationships. In the stories that were assigned I have chosen specific stories to illustrate these types of relationships. I have chosen to explore the story "Killings" by Andre Dubus to emphasize how strong a family bond can be. In addition to studying family relationships I examined "Carnal Knowledge" by T. Coraghessan Boyle to show how love between a man and a woman can alter how one acts. The last type of relationship I selected is unlike the others. I used the story "A&P" by John Updike to display how one yearns for a loving relationship and what he does because of such. At first it may not be clear why this character chooses to act recklessly but once you understand the character and look at it from his point of view, it will become evident. The three characters in the story got a taste of pleasure, it was only temporary.

The story "Killings" by Andre Dubus is set in a small town. Matt Fowler's son has been murdered by Richard Strout, but this isn't the only reason that Matt Fowler decides to act unreasonable. The fact he still walks around freely prohibits him from thinking about the loss of one of his family. He mentions it in the third paragraph: "He walks the Goddamn streets" (Dubus 84). Matt and his wife Ruth knew they could not live their life seeing the murderer everyday. Matt ignoring the consequences decided that he would kill Richard Strout for himself and his wife. Matt's role as a father and husband were the primary reasons for his act of murder. When Matt's children were young, he was extremely protective of them. This is best illustrated in paragraph 70, where Matt would always stand by the tree because he was afraid that they might fall. Also consider: "He lost Frank in a way no...